THE Philippine government is actively pursuing an Interpol red notice against former party‑list lawmaker Zaldy Co, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed on Tuesday.
Remulla disclosed that he will personally travel to Lyon, France to follow up on the request, while Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla will separately travel to Paris to pursue diplomatic channels with French authorities.
“We are filing a red notice for Zaldy Co again. Coincidentally, I will also be going to Lyon, France to follow up on his red notice with Interpol,” the Interior Secretary stated, adding that both efforts will complement one another to secure Co’s return to face charges.
The push for the red notice comes just days after the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued arrest warrants on Monday for Co, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and their two co‑accused in connection with alleged anomalies in ₱573‑billion flood control projects.
While Romualdez was taken into custody at a private hospital in San Juan City, Co remains at large overseas. Interpol defines a red notice as a request to law enforcement authorities worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action — making it the key instrument in bringing Co back to the Philippines to stand trial.
Co has been the subject of international attention since April, when he was briefly held at an immigration detention facility in Prague before being released.
By May, reports placed him residing at a property along the Champs‑Élysées in Paris. With dual tracks underway — diplomatic outreach in Paris and the formal Interpol follow‑up in Lyon — Philippine authorities are coordinating across agencies to close the distance between Co and the jurisdiction seeking his return. Whether the red notice and diplomatic pressure will persuade French authorities to detain and extradite him remains the critical next step in the proceedings.
metrosundaily
